ESPN2 will tip off its coverage of the 2009 WNBA Playoffs on Wednesday, Sept. 16, with action from the Eastern and Western Conference Semifinals. Out of the East, the defending WNBA champion Detroit Shock will take on the Atlanta Dream, who will be making their first WNBA playoff appearance. In addition, on Thursday, Sept. 17, the Indiana Fever will go head to head with the Washington Mystics. In the West, the Seattle Storm will take on the Los Angeles Sparks on Wednesday, while the Phoenix Mercury will play defending Western Conference champion San Antonio Silver Stars on Thursday. The best-of-three Conference Semifinal games will conclude with potential Game 3 matchups on Sunday, Sept. 20, and Monday, Sept. 21, all on ESPN2.

Also, ESPN2 and ESPN360.com will air Game 1 of the Eastern and Western Conference Finals, respectively, on Wednesday, Sept. 23, at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. ET. The networks will also air the best-of-five WNBA Finals, which will begin Tuesday, Sept. 29, with a potential Game 4 and Game 5 on Wednesday, Oct. 7, and Friday, Oct. 9. WNBA Finals coverage will be supplemented by WNBA Shootaround, a pregame studio show.

All playoff games (up to 15) will be produced in high definition and will also be simulcast on ESPN360.com, ESPN’s broadband sports network. This will be the first time every postseason WNBA game is televised in high definition on ESPN2 HD.

During the WNBA Conference Semifinals, Carolyn Peck, Nancy Lieberman and Doris Burke will serve as the primary analysts and will be joined by play-by-play announcers Pam Ward, Terry Gannon, Bob Wischusen and Dave Pasch and sideline reporters Rebecca Lobo and Heather Cox.

The WNBA’s regular season on ESPN2 (13 telecasts) concluded with an average of 269,000 viewers, up 8% vs. last season (248,000 viewers). In addition, regular-season games on ESPN2 saw increases in key demographics, including men 18-34 (+9%), men 18-49 (+14%) and men 23-54 (+23%).